[Callers] Favorite dance to teach a ladies chain?

[Martha Wild via Callers]

Hey, I’m an experienced dancer, and I actually like the continuous flow of a “full” ladies chain. And having done it from the man’s side, it’s kind of fun there, too, to sidestep and then swoop the women’s role around or if the dance and partner permit, twirling them under. It’s a flowy move, I tend not to whoop in flowy dances (and I don’t see that so much from others either). Whooping goes well in the balancy dances. But it’s the match of the music with the dance that really gets me.
Martha

> On Aug 22, 2016, at 8:18 AM, Luke Donforth via Callers <callers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
> 
> I've been thinking about glossary dances, and building vocabulary for new dancers. I'm curious what your favorite dance is for teaching a ladies chain for a crowd of mostly new dancers? Or if you don't have a specific dance, what do you look for in a dance to make the chain as accessible as possible?
> 
> Just a chain over? Or a full chain over and back?
> Chain to neighbor? Chain to partner?
> What move best precedes the chain to set it up? 
> What move best follows the chain that still helps new dancers succeed?
> Other factors you consider?
> 
> I don't have a go-to favorite, but I'll walk through some of the things I think about:
> 
> I very seldom call a dance with a full chain. Experienced dancers don't whoop and holler over them, and for new dancers, I'd worry the confusion would snowball. 
> 
> Programatically, in a hall with a reasonable mix of new and experienced dancers, I shoot for the first chain to be to neighbor so that the new dancers can feel it with different experienced dancers; rather than new dancers (who will partner up and clump, no matter how many helpful  dance angels you have) continually chaining to each other. If I were trying to teach a chain to ALL new dancers... well, I doubt I'd teach a chain to completely new dancers... but if I were, I'd probably go to partner. 
> 
> For moves, while I love the chain->left hand star transition; I'm not convinced it's the best for teaching the chain. It often goes B2 chain->star, find new neighbor; and the new neighbor from a left hand star is non-trivial for new dancers. Possibly a dance where the chain->star wasn't followed by the progression would work, but it's such a great progression when they're ready for it; I don't see many of those dances. chain->star->left allemande maybe? I do like long lines either before or after the chain as a set-up; but not on both ends. I'm not sure which side of the chain the lines help more. The Trip to ___ dances that end with chains and start with women walking in to long wavy lines flow well, but I don't know that they're the best for teaching chains, since the long wavy line is another new piece.
> 
> Anyway, just some of my thoughts (started by the other thread about simple glossary dances). I look forward to hearing what others on Shared Weight have to say about the dances they use to teach chains (and I certainly won't be offended if folks tangent off into gent's chains; just start a new thread ;-)
> 
> Take care,
> 
> 
> -- 
> Luke Donforth
> Luke.Donforth at gmail.com <mailto:Luke.Donev at gmail.com>
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